Outgoing Winnipeg police chief calls for more officers at final board meeting

Winnipeg police Chief Danny Smyth used one of his last public appearances in his role as head of the police service to call on the city to hire more officers.

Speaking to the city's police board meeting on Friday, Smyth said when he took over as chief in 2016, the service had approximately 1,450 sworn officers. Today, that number is closer to 1,375.

The number ebbs and flows over time, and "we've scaled with demand," he told the board.

But "I would offer to the board right now that we're seeing a time when there is a greater demand on police, and I think a discussion needs to be had about how we might enhance our resources," said Smyth, who announced late last year he planned to step down this coming September as the chief of police.

One of the major challenges facing front-line officers right now is a spike in retail thefts, he told the board Friday.

New numbers from the police service say there were nearly 7,000 incidents last year, a 45 per cent increase over 2022.

The first quarter of this year saw a 42 per cent increase over the same period last year, according to the police service.

"If 2024 continues at this rate, [retail crime incidents] will far exceed our 2023 numbers," Winnipeg Police Service Insp. Jennifer MacKinnon said.

The reasons for the increase are complicated, with factors including poverty, addictions and mental health, organized crime, and social media presenting shoplifting as a "victimless crime," according to MacKinnon.

Starting Saturday, Winnipeg police will step up patrols in the West End, Osborne Village and the Exchange District, using provincial funding to cover overtime costs in response to concerns about crime.

While police point to an increase in the number of calls for service as a reason to hire more officers, Kate Kehler says the city needs to find alternatives to relying on armed officers in situations involving mental health. 

Kehler is part of the Police Accountability Coalition, a group that includes several community organizations calling for policing changes and reallocation of police resources.

"At this point in time, we have an opportunity to create real change with new leadership," she said, speaking as a delegate during the police board meeting.

"One person will not be able to change the unhealthy culture that has taken root in the Winnipeg Police Service. However, it would be a great place to start."

Smyth's last official day as chief of the Winnipeg Police Service is Sept. 7. He'll spend the rest of his time wrapping up major files within the service and finishing his term as chair of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police.

"Time for a little self-care, too, so I'll be taking a little bit of annual leave over the summer," Smyth told reporters after the meeting.

A public consultation on finding a new chief, including open houses, will wrap up around the end of June, with a new chief expected to be selected early this fall.